Volleyball is a popular sports game. It can be played both indoors and outdoors, and at all levels from recreational to professional. Regardless of the level of competition, a volleyball game requires relatively simple equipment such as a net, means for supporting the net and a volleyball.
In accordance with volleyball rules, the net is 1 meter wide and 32 ft long with 4″ square mesh construction. A 2″ wide band at the top of the net is required. A ¼″ support cable generally runs through a fold of the band. Support cables are used to fasten the net to the support means such that the volleyball net is highly tensioned in a horizontal plane at both top and bottom edges, and also in a vertical direction, to form a flat rectangular configuration. It is also important that the net sustain a substantially consistent tension at all points, and retain this consistent tension throughout a volleyball game because in the course of play the ball may be played off of the net. These requirements for tensioning have raised particular problems which have been intensively addressed by the prior art.
It is well known in the art that the use of rigid side marginal strips effectively provides the net with a symmetrical and square profile and effectively maintains a substantially consistent tension at all points of the net when the net is appropriately supported in a tensioned condition. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,257, issued to Pardi on Oct. 25, 1994 discloses a volleyball game net having side edges which are made rigid by means such as reinforcing rods within the marginal tapes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,552, issued to Whelchel on Jul. 29, 1997 discloses a net attachment and tensioning system for a volleyball net which includes a tensioning bar vertically and fixedly attached to a side sleeve of the net. Each tensioning bar is constructed of two flat rectangular members held parallel to each other and spaced apart by a pair of rivets and a plurality of sheaves. U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,157, which issued to McCord on Sep. 6, 1994 discloses a portable volleyball net assembly which includes vertical edges each of which is secured along the entire length by means of a binder or sleeve, to a tubular net cylinder. The tubular net cylinder is attached to the net support posts.
However, those rigid side marginal strips disclosed in the prior art cannot be very conveniently and quickly attached to the side ends of the net. For example, sleeves usually need to be fabricated and attached to the side ends of the net before the reinforcing rod or other element is attached to the side ends of the net. The tubular net cylinder disclosed by McCord rigidly reinforces the side ends of a volleyball net, however it does not actually form a side marginal border of the net due to its bulky configuration relative to the light and flexible net configuration. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus which can be conveniently and quickly attached to side ends of a volleyball game net or similar nets for other sports games in order to form a rigid side marginal strip of the net.